Madrid: Casillas; Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Pepe
(Raúl Albiol 46'), Coentrao; Lass (Benzema 61'), Xabi Alonso; Di
María (Callejón 71'), Özil, Cristiano Ronaldo;
Higuaín. 4-2-3-1.
Valencia: Diego Alves; Joao
Pereira, Ricardo Costa, Víctor Ruíz, Mathieu; Gago, Tino Costa;
Feghouli (Nelson Valdez 82'), Jonas, Guardado (Piatti 65'); Soldado (Dani
Parejo 71'). 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
1-0. 09. Higuain. Controlled Di María pass and
beat Diego Alves at third attempt.
1-1. 42. Jonas. Got above defence to
head wide Tino Costa free kick in to net.
Yellow cards: Feghouli 30', Víctor Ruíz 49', Xabi Alonso 73', Pereira 83', Valdez 86', Piatti 87'.
Defending champions Real Madrid could only draw 1-1 against Valencia in their opening game, and they go in to the midweek Super Cup games against Barcelona already two points behind their arch-rivals. Higuaín was given the striker's role ahead of Benzema, and with less than ten minutes gone he repaid his manager's faith in him with the opening goal, controlling Di María's pass and beating Diego Alves at the third attempt after the keeper saved his first two shots. Tino Costa almost caught out Casillas at the other end though with a long free kick, and with the first half coming to an end Jonas got on the end of another Costa free kick to head the equaliser, the play ending with Casillas and Pepe (who subsequently had to be substituted) stretched out on the turf after a clash of heads. Early in the second half Soldado got the ball in the net after a long chase only to be pulled up for a questionable offside, but after that Madrid took control, Higuaín heading against the bar and Diego Alves pulling off first class saves from Özil, Benzema and Callejón. For the second season in a row though the Ches came away from the Bernabeu stadium with a point, and their new coach Pellegrino was more than satisfied with his team's performance.